The realities of the 2019 general election are becoming clearer and difficult to ignore. And that all is not well with the ruling All Progressives Congress, which took over power from the Peoples Democratic Party less than two years ago, is also obvious. Hardly had President Muhammadu Buhari settled down to work than the gladiators began to fall apart. As a matter of fact, what today became the nemesis of the party leaders and elders in the South-west has its root in the inaugural speech of Mr. President on May 29, 2015, aptly captured thus: “I belong to nobody, I belong to everybody.”
Tinubu
Expectedly, former Lagos state Governor, Bola Tinubu, considered the arrowhead of the formation of the merger party, APC, which brought Buhari to office as the sixth elected President of the most populous black nation, soon became the greatest loser in the aftermath of the party’s victory.
Not only was he done with in terms of gaining full control of the party apparatus after the 2015 election, he was also dealt a bigger blow in the nomination of members into the Buhari’s administration.
From Lagos State where, he wields enormous power, to Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states, his favourites for ministerial positions were not counted worthy as aides of Mr. President. Those picked in their stead emerged as key national officers in the Buhari administration and soon became “their own men” and ultimately whittled the powers hitherto wielded by Tinubu. Curiously, virtually all of them are people who gained political prominence and rode to power as former state governors or serving helmsmen through the political structure of Tinubu. How time flies?
With the appointment of Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN, Kayode Fayemi and a few others, who rode to the Abuja seat of power against the wish of Tinubu, the stage was set for the epic battle, mistrust, and lack of understanding being witnessed today in the South-west chapter of APC.
Tinubu’s hitherto godsons seemed to have found a new platform to resist their leader as many of accused him of being highhanded and bossy.
Peace Meeting
Sensing the danger that the prolonged mistrust may cause the Yoruba race and individual aspirations of the gladiators now and in 2019 general elections, former governor of Osun State and first interim national chairman of APC, Chief Bisi Akande, initiated the peace meeting of Thursday, January 12, in Ibadan. The meeting was well attended by governors and leaders of the ruling party in the zone to strategize on ways to strengthen the unity and cohesion of the leaders and party members.
The closed-door meeting, which lasted about five hours at the Governor’s Office, attracted virtually all elected and appointed leaders of the party from the zone, except the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yusuf Lasun, who was said to have travelled out of the country.
THISDAY findings revealed that the meeting was nearly called off at the last minute because of the anti-Tinubu forces who felt their leader had overstepped his bounds and, therefore, deserved no attention or any parley. To many of them, it was better for everybody to remain on their own, and they vowed that 2019 provided an opportunity to test Tinubu’s influence in the politics of Yorubaland and his national pre-eminence, which they argued were exaggerated.
Sources said this standpoint made the host governor, Abiola Ajimobi, to engage in subtle appeal to the aggrieved persons and succeeded in persuading them to honour the meeting so as to put Yoruba house in order and, by extension, ensure the success of President Buhari’s administration.
Ajimobi commands enormous goodwill and respect of his brother governors (past and present) in the zone because of his style of politics and broad mindedness on issues bordering on unity among the Yoruba. He is also passionate about the unity of APC, not only in the South-west, but also in the whole country. Ajimobi wants to prevent that could cause the party to disintegrate as 2019 election gets closer. More importantly, he believes unity is vital for Buhari to continue to enjoy the support of leaders, elders and people of the zone who voted massively for him to emerge president in the 2015 election.
Briefing
Former governor of Ogun State, Chief Segun Osoba, who briefed the press after the meeting, said the leaders met to chart a new path for the party’s growth and continued control of power in the South-west and at the national level. He told journalists that the leaders had closed ranks and had taken positions on burning national issues and governance, details of which he did not disclose.
Osoba said, “We met principally to discuss issues affecting South-west in all ramifications and we have come out with a resolution to say that there is unity of purpose in the South-west APC. The leadership is one; we are all together on all issues.
“We examined all the issues concerning the governance of this country and what should be the role and influence that we should exercise as a group, in the interest and the progress of our country. We have examined the activities and achievements of the central government that we were all involved in putting in place and we have resolved on all the issues.
“Some of the issues deliberated upon would be taken to Abuja for urgent action of Mr. President (Muhammadu Buhari), while we have related with our members in the national and state assemblies, as well as at the state and local levels of our party hierarchy.
“All these issues were discussed exhaustively and we have related with all our governors with the resolution, which is that from now onward there will be total harmony and consultation among our governors for the development of South-west of Nigeria.”
Osoba restated what he called the leadership position of the APC South-west in the country, adding that the party’s leaders were determined to reassert their interest in the progressive politics of the country.
Attendance
At the meeting were governors elected on the platform of the party in the South-west. They included the host, Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Governor Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun State); Governor Akinwumi Ambode (Lagos State); and Governor Rauf Aregbesola (Osun State).
Others were the National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Deputy National Chairman (South), Chief Segun Oni; National Vice Chairman (South-west), Chief Pius Akinyelure; and former interim national chairman of the party, Chief Bisi Akande.
The list included the Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila; Senator Olusola Adeyeye; Minister of Communication, Alhaji Adebayo Shittu; Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola; Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun; Health Minister, Professor Isaac Adewole; and Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed.
Apart from Osoba, a former governor of Ekiti State, Chief Niyi Adebayo; and a former governor of Osun State, Chief Olagunsoye Oyinlola, were also present at the gathering; while two resource academics, Professors Ropo Sekoni and John Ayoade, contributed to the discussions.
Intrigue
However, behind the façade of pleasant speech and notion that all is now well with the gladiators in the way that they professed “no more war in the house of Oduduwa”, sources say there is another plot by the opponents of Tinubu not to allow any agreements, as they ask, “in whose interest is the truce being championed by the concerned elders?”
Unless and until both sides are ready to make sacrifices in the overall interest of the South-west, it would be difficult to achieve the badly needed peace and unity ahead of the 2019 election.
Source and credit: Ademola Babalola, Thisday